A bunch of new faces were on the court at SEFCU Arena today for the annual UAlbany Purple & Gold Scrimmage.
Head coach Will Brown had 17 players listed on his roster, although Jacob Iati (younger brother of former three-point specialist Jon Iati) and John Puk will red-shirt. Brown thinks about 13 players will battle for playing time, and he said this year's team has plenty of depth and firepower.
From what I saw, the players looked rusty and tired. Brown explained that the Danes had practiced earlier in the day, and to tell you the truth, they were a step slow.
Tim Ambrose, the 6-foot shooting guard who led the team in scoring last year at 14 ppg, electrified the 300-400 people in the crowd during warmups with a between-the-legs dunk shot that was simply extraordinary. He was his usual self, though, with some outstanding drives and outside shots one minute and a few bonehead plays the next. He finished with a game-high 20 points.
Will Harris looked thin. I mean really thin. He dropped quite a bit of weight and doesn't look like the same player from a year ago. I guess that's good in basketball terms, but he doesn't look quite as menacing, either. We'll see if the loss in weight makes him quicker and gives him more endurance.
Michael Johnson, who will be the starting point guard, surprised me with his new-found range. He scored 17 points and drained a couple of shots from deep. The Danes will need him to step up as the No. 1 man after the departure of Anthony Raffa last year. Rookie Mike Black appears to be the new backup.
I also liked Gavin Glanton, a 6-7 freshman forward, and Blake Metcalf, a 6-9, 240-pound center, who grabbed 10 rebounds. Metcalf didn't show much touch in his Albany debut, but he sure did hustle around the boards.
Scotty McRae still likes shooting long jumpers, even though he's better suited inside. Louis Barraza looked sharp from the perimeter, but the other Albany jump shooters like Billy Allen and Logan Aronhalt need some work. I'm still hoping to see more of 6-10, 235-pound red-shirt freshman Jake Lindfors. He could really help the Danes up front.
I couldn't get much of a feel about Ralph Watts, a 6-5 freshman swingman, or Frank Urli, a 6-8 junior forward from Zagreb, Croatia. We'll have to wait and see.
Harris and Ambrose are proven commodities, and Johnson has experience at the point. Brett Gifford will most likely start again at center. At 6-11, he has obvious strengths, but he's never quite lived up to his potential. Still, he's a smart kid who gives 100 percent all the time.
Still plenty of question marks with this team, but it's very early. Too bad the Danes must start with such a tough opponent in the opener. They meet the Syracuse Orange at the Carrier Dome No. 9. And the Orange will be ready, because they will be trying to give head coach Jim Boeheim his 800th career win.
